Sorting apparatus



lFig. l isa diagrammatic plany of'afipreferred Patented Feb. 5, 1952Louisville, Ky.; assignors tcr -J'osephvEnSeagram &`I Sons, -Inc.Shively', YHyg a' ycorporationv offlnf diana'application'foman)eff-is'i, 1945;;sei-ia1-No; 625.2722

. .1' `This invention relates toapparatus! ter.: determining'and sortingarticles of different light-reectillg characteristics,- and more-particularlyrto apparatusior examining bottle capsand rejectinglinerless caps.

Theintermittent occurrence .of linerlessbottle caps in. bottlingymachinesxh'as been'savfsource of considerable trouble since it hasbeenimpracticaL,

in the absence cfa; personal inspection of. each bottle,` Gap. vto'determine whether .a ,zeapffhasra' liner. The operation of suchbottling :machines iS. automatic and the fact thata linerless cap hasbeen used may. not hesrevealeci until considerable damage yis'donevas--inthe caser of whisky,` which is immediately cased' afterbottling.If OnelinerleSS cap has beenv used with. consequent leakage,

the entire case of whisky maybe ruined-as ref gai-'ds sale purposes. i:An .Object of this inventionisy the,` provision .of

novel; means for determiningfand' sorting articlesf such.r as.bottlecaps in accordance with .their as Iloottlefcaps .wherein they,Operatiorrs performed accurately and.;A suciently rapidas :not to.intertere with the continuedcperationof the vbottling :5;

machine to which the caps' are being. fed.

@ther objects and,l advantages 'of .this-'invention willappear from thefollowing drawings; :wheref' embodiment of my invention.

..Fig.2 is a. sectiontaken on the -linez-zfof Fig. l: showing-thetrap inclosed 'positionzan' a bottle vcapv inposition, the latterbeing.-show-'afm section., f Fig.. 3 is a plan view partly brokeniawayof-thetra-p showing it in operrposition` is ajsection4 takenon: thelineal-teef Eigrandfshowing a-.cgap in its falling position.

isa fragmental elevation :of rthe rear face .of the chute orconveyorsho-Winge. preferred arrangement of reflectiveI and.. nonfrefleotive.surfaces, bottle caps beingshownindcttedlnes.

Fig. 6. is --.a-wfiring .diagramof thefapparatusrof Fig. 1.

In the, prefer-red embodiment. ,shownxin the drawings, lu is yaninclined chute or .conveyor down which theV articles to besortedsu'chlas bottle caps- I l, roll, the-chute `beingl forme'dirivitha oer 1.2,; a rearwall |31,- aYA front wall: Igancif'an overhangingledge l5. Front 'wall it-is preferably. formed' Witha series 'ofopenings Iii-to facilitate-accessk .to the. caps in' the' chute ineventof their jamming. i The conveyor is. suflicientlyna-rrowv to.vretain' .tha-articles, such L as the bottle caps shown. in Athe'illustration, in' an uprightrposition. The chute "inclinesfdownwardlylvfrom the right -softhatsthel directionv of cap ow-is frorightftoleft as viewed-'inl Fig. 1.

vPortions of the? front' wall of-V .the chute are removed to Ysetup aninspection station- 'and Vfproviolev forzinserti'on of fa' trap'assembly' iincludngl a trap lla'rranged to slide -iin *slotsll 8 and'ISI-in the side'wallsfcf .the chute; and to cover11V ari-openingiin.the bottom of the chute large-enough fora cap toA rfall' therethrough.An arml =2 Blf connects the trap rwith .-theifmovingf element 2| ofasolenoid 22, the 'latter being 'suitably-l mounted inla housingrattherear of ithe' chute' not.- shown. J=A pin 23Lis1fsecured ato :move withtrap' l-fso" thatI whenz'the ...traplffmovesf'forward in the positionshownrinl Figsgfand' 4 -lto uncover .the bottom opening and release abottle cap, the pin projects intothelpath of the 'succeedingcaps-and-prevents movementv otthe caps into the trapY until thelatter'is closed. `lEin 23 is secured 'to trap l'lby an yupright 24'which positionsfthe pin-opposite aniap'erture 25 vinV WallA I3 ata.point spacedl from the line of Contact of the adjacent caps so vthat theYpin'vr` will alwaysA` enter .in the space between twoadjoiningcaps..Pin 23 is of suilicient length to .engager theezsucceeding cap beforefthe-1trap fullyopen'sitodischargeailinerless cap.

fEachf cap: I l iis normallyrprovidedwithafliner 26 of eitherwhiteplasticimaterial. or' otherhigfh-r 1y.`- reflectivei material `suchas metal foil. Since the :bottle 'capsfarenormally of`aid`ark and poorreecting :material and ai'color! such'.` as dark brown, i2 advantage isvtakenofthis contrast -n light-reflecting characteristic insorting and`eliminating'..the linerlesscaps. Avlight source 27 with alensassemblyll, forffocusingfthe lightiupon theriinteriortof .the cap whenat the inspection station. or'. position of` haltris- 'provided fincombination: wthi a photo-electric "cell 29 or similar lightsensitive.devicearranged' in the pathbf the reiected"beanfi,A the :cellbeing.' arranged` toioper ate thefsolenoidf and -its connected trap?through the wiring assembly of Fig. 6.

' fAS the ce1l-,i29,re1ayf3 I Q .lamp`2'l;` and' otherielectrical'apparaims :are .conventional and' .their methodi'offoperation Wellknown, the Wiring diagralmfof "F.vig; Gais believed selfeexplanatory. Ithas'ibeen found desirable toarrange the'wir'ing so that the. sensitivityof? relay: 3 canlbe" variedby positioned that as a rejected cap fallsthrough the trap, the reflective strip will become exposed to the lightsource and cell when the cap is about 90% out. The combination of thenon-reflective and reflective surfaces onthe back wall-of the chute inthis predetermined relation insure that once the trap is opened by alinerlesscap, the

trap will remain open because of the dark back-- ground of the wall I3,until the cap is almost entirely discharged. At that point, thereflective surface 32 acts upon the cell to initiate the return of thetrap to its closed position, the inertia of the trap and solenoidinsuring suilicient time for the cap to complete its exit from the trap.The next cap cannot roll into the inspection station until the trap isclosed because of the action of pin 23 which moves with the trap, andthus is operated by the light sensitive device.

In operation, the trap is assembled with a conventional feed chute to abottling machine. In such a chute the caps are taken off the bottom ofthe chute at predetermined intervals at a rate of 115 to 120 caps perminute, allowing about 0.5 second for the periodic advance, inspection,and possible rejection of a cap. As the successive caps pass through theinspection station, they halt for about 0.5 second during which theirinteriors are subject to the light beam. If a liner is in the cap,sufllcient light is reflected back to cell and the trap remains closed.When a linerless cap appears, the reflected beam to the cell is reducedin degree so that the relay 3l operates the solenoid 22 to open the trapand discharge the cap.

In this operation, pin 23 engages the succeed- I ing cap before the trapfully opens and remains in lengagement -until the trap-is closed,thereby preventing jamming at the inspection station or the loss o fcaps containing liners through the trap. Y

In actual operation, it has been found that inspection and rejection canbe accomplished in about 0.3 second, the action being sufficiently rapidso that no trouble is experienced when two linerless caps areencountered in succession at flows less than 120 caps per minute.

At higherrates of flow, two trap assemblies may be built into the chuteand arranged to operate upon different caps at spacedstations.

" advanced for inspection; a trap in the guide In this way, the rate offlow will be limited only by the speed of operation of the traps.

It is not necessary that the caps come to a halt at the inspectionstation or trap as it has been found that even with a continuous flow ofcaps as when the chute is filled initially, the linerless caps will becaught and discharged. It is only necessary that the caps travel at arate to intercept the light beam and affect the reflection thereof. Thismay -be accomplished in 0.1

second or less. i

-Themomentary break inthe fee-d of caps caused bythe eliminationof alinerless capdoes not affect the feed to the bottling machine as aconsiderable reservoir of inspected caps is maintained in the machineend of the chute. Any gap caused by the discharge of linerless caps ismeans at the point of inspection of the articles; means to direct a beamof light on each article at the point of inspection; light-responsivemeans in the path of light reflected from each article as it reaches thepoint of inspection; means operable by said light-responsive meansarranged to open said trap means and eject any article failing toreflect a predetermined degree of light, and simultaneously to stop theadvance of articles to be inspected while an article is being ejected;

' and light reflective and non-reflective areas on the back panel of theguide means at the point of inspection, the light reflective area beingpositioned to reflect sufficient light to the light responsive means toinitiate its operation at a predetermined position in the discharge ofan article from the trap.

2. The combination with a chute for conveying bottle caps having capliners of light reflecting character, of means for selecting anddischarging linerless caps from the chute, said means comprising: a trapon the chute at a predetermined point of inspection of the bottle caps;means to direct a beam of light on the liner of each cap at the point ofinspection; light responsive means in the path of light reflected fromthe liner; means operable by the light'responsive means arranged to opensaid trap means and eject any cap failing to reflect a predetermineddegree of light and simultaneously to stop the advance of articles to beinspected while a cap is being ejected, the rear face of the chute atthe point of inspection being formed with light reflective andnon-reflective areas, the light reflective area being positioned toreflect light to the light-responsive means at a predetermined positionin the discharge of a cap from the trap.

3. An apparatus for sorting defective articles from articles having alight reflecting surface which comprises: an inclined chute forsupporting said. articles in rolling position to advance by gravity in astream; an inspection station having a light reflecting portion adaptedto be covered by said articles; article ejecting means adjacent saidinspection station; means tordirect a beam of light on said reflectingportion; light sensitive means in the path of reflected light from saidreflecting portion actuated by a reflected light beam to maintain saidejecting means in ready position; and holding means actuated by saidlight sensitive means upon diminishing of reflected light to arrest thenext adjacent article while the defective article is being ejected touncover said reflecting portion.

4. An apparatus for sorting articles according to their light reflectingcharacteristics, comprising: guide means'along which the members areadvanced; an inspection station having a nonreflecting area adapted tobe covered by an article to be inspected; article ejecting meansadjacent said inspection station; means to direct a.

Y 5 beam of light on each article as it reaches the inspection stationflight sensitive means in the path of reiiected light from each articleto actuate said ejecting means to eject an article at said station whichfails to reect a predetermined degree of light; means actuated by saidlight 'sensitive means to retain the next adjacent article while anon-reflecting article is ejected; and a reflecting member at thestation positioned to be uncovered by ejection or" an article to actuatethe light-sensitive means to deenergize the ejecting means andreturn'the retaining means to nonretaining position.

5. An apparatus for sorting articles according to their light ree'ctingor non-reflecting character, comprising:V means to advance said articlesin progression tojan inspection station; a light sensitive means;'article ejecting means, adjacent said station normally maintained inposition to allow articlesV to pass through the station and operated bythe light sensitive means upon diminishing of reflected light to ejectnon-reflect-x ing articles from thevstation; detaining means operated bysaidli'ght sensitive means to detain the article next adjacent thestation while a nonreflecting article is ejected; and a reflectingmember at the station positioned to be covered by an article at thestation and operative when uncovered to actuate .the light sensitivemeans to return the detaining means to non-detaining position. v

6. An apparatus for sorting articles according ejected; and meansincluding a reflecting area at said station positioned to be covered byan article at the station; and operating when uncovered to reect lightto the light sensitive means to return the rejecting means to normalposition and release said detaining means.

7. An apparatus for sorting defective non-reilecting articles fromarticles having a light reflecting surface which comprises: means foradvancing said articles in procession; an inspection station along thepath of movement of said articles having a non-reiiecting portionadapted to be covered by an article at said station; article ejectingmeans adjacent said station; means to direct a beam of light on saidstation; photoelectric means in the path of reflected light fromarticles at said station; means actuated by saidphotoelectric means upondiminution of reflected light thereto to actuate the ejecting means toeject a defective article and arrest the next adjacent article to thestation while a defective article is being ejected; and a lightreflection portion at A, said station positioned relative to thenon-reto their light reflecting or non-reflecting charf acter,comprising: means to advance said articles in progression toaninspection station; artif cle ejecting means adjacent said stationnormally maintained in position to allow articles to pass through thestation; a light source to direct a light beam upon an article at thestation; a light sensitive means positioned to receive light re,.ilected from the station and arranged to operate'- fleeting portion inthe direction of ejecting movement of said article to reect light to thelight sensitive means to return the rejecting and arresting means tonormal position.

EUGENE J. CAPSTACK. EUGENE H. C. BROWN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

